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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — decided
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — goods
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — shares
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bass — low music
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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