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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bass — low music
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cue — for pool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — a container
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — a hint
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bass — the fish
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — goods

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