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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a hint
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pop — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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