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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — ground
  3. row — a line
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fine — all right
  7. mate — a partner
  8. land — a country
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. land — to come down
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com