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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bass — low music
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mark — a trace
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — decided
  11. sharp — clever
  12. firm — a company
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — in sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. firm — steady
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — shares
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — a price

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