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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. object — to protest
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. object — a thing
  6. stock — shares
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — low music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cue — for pool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cue — a hint
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  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