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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. season — of the year
  9. bass — low music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. foot — a measure
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — goods
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. season — in sport
  24. chest — a box

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