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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the fish
  4. present — the time now
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cell — in biology
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chip — to eat
  12. suit — to fit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — there
  18. chip — for betting
  19. key — in music
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bass — low music
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — in a computer

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