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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stock — goods
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rash — hasty
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rash — a series
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stock — shares
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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