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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 124 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. swing — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. present — a gift
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — to confront
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spell — letters
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — magic
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — shares
  19. swing — to play on
  20. present — there
  21. bass — the fish
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — a horse colour

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