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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. swing — in golf
  8. season — in sport
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bass — low music
  13. rest — a break
  14. swing — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — shares

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