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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. row — to paddle
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bass — the fish
  9. foot — a measure
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. row — a line
  15. scale — in music
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — goods
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a lid
  24. scale — size or range

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