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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ground — a position
  3. bass — low music
  4. snap — to click
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — crushed
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — hasty

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