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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a document
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — a company
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a tool
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — low music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stock — goods
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. firm — decided
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stock — shares
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. file — a line of people
  24. firm — steady

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