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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. firm — steady
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. firm — a company
  7. stock — goods
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — for catching
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stock — shares
  24. rock — to move gently

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