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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stock — shares
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — for golf
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. net — after costs
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. net — in sport
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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