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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — shares
  5. club — for dancing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. club — a group
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — soda
  17. club — for golf
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stock — goods
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bass — low music
  24. pop — music

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