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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — an amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. degree — temperature
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stock — a soup base

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