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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. firm — decided
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — in music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — low music
  15. stock — goods
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a match
  20. bore — to tire
  21. scale — size or range
  22. firm — a company
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bore — to drill

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