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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 120 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fork — in a road
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stock — shares
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — goods
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. squash — the vegetable

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