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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stock — shares
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cap — a hat
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — to go on
  11. bass — low music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. can — a tin
  14. last — final
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. last — finally
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. leaves — of a tree

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