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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · bass · fine · stock · pit · mine · swing · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stock — goods
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stock — shares
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. swing — music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pit — a hole

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