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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stock — goods
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — to confront
  16. game — a match
  17. face — part of the head
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — wild animals

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