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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pop — to visit
  3. object — an aim
  4. root — of a word
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. snap — to click
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. club — for golf
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pop — music
  14. club — a group
  15. suit — to fit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — the fish
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pop — soda
  20. object — to protest
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. stock — a soup base

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