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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stock — shares
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. march — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chip — for betting
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stem — to come from

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