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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bass — low music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stock — goods
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a great time
  23. current — electric
  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