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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bass — low music
  4. stock — shares
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — in music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. squash — to crush
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — with a leg

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