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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stock — shares
  4. hand — help
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fall — the season
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hand — in cards
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fall — to drop

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