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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. shower — rain
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — a box
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. net — for catching
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. current — of water
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stock — shares
  24. net — after costs

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