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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stock — goods
  15. pop — music
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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