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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stock — shares
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rest — what's left

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