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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stock — shares
  5. clip — to cut
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bass — low music
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — certain
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cue — a signal

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