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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the fish
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pop — soda
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bass — low music
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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