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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stock — shares
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — decided
  11. stock — goods
  12. firm — a company
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — size or range
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. scale — in music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fork — in a road
  23. firm — steady
  24. fork — a garden tool

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