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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — completely
  8. toast — bread
  9. bass — low music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a match
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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