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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rock — music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. plane — a tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — shares
  12. swing — in golf
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — low music
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — a stone
  24. swing — music

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