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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — soda
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — to visit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. firm — decided
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. band — a ring
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — goods

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