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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stock — goods
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bass — low music
  14. land — a country
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — shares
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — ground
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. sharp — clever

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