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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. bass — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. object — to protest
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. object — an aim
  16. can — to be able to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — a thing
  19. stock — goods
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bass — the instrument

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