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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — low music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ball — a great time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bowl — a dish

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