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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stock — shares
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — a box
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a music group
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a ring
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — goods
  24. pound — a weight

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