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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — happy
  12. stock — shares
  13. row — to paddle
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — the amount
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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