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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stock — goods
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stock — shares
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. drill — army training
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  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