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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bass — low music
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — a song
  6. stock — shares
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — a path
  9. content — the amount
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spell — letters
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — magic
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — to keep track
  20. content — happy
  21. rest — a break
  22. club — for golf
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rest — what's left

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