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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tube — the underground
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. net — after costs
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — in sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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