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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bat — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stock — goods
  18. staff — employees
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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