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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — the fish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. season — of the year
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — for betting
  12. band — a music group
  13. chip — to eat
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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