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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.

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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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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: wake · stock · rock · scale · bass · cabinet

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stock — goods
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wake — a trail
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — music

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