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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 124 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — a price
  5. stock — goods
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. charge — in control
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bass — low music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stock — shares
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stem — to come from
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bass — the fish
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. scale — size or range
  23. land — to come down
  24. toast — bread

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