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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — the fish
  13. file — a document
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bass — low music
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. file — a tool

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