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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — shares
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — soda
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pop — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. safe — a strongbox

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