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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — letters
  6. key — in music
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. scale — size or range
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stock — shares
  23. bass — the fish
  24. perch — the fish

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