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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — after costs
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — clever
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bass — the fish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. saw — the tool

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