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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — a signal
  7. net — for catching
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. bass — low music
  12. cue — a hint
  13. net — in sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. band — a ring
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rest — a break

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