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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 120 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: ground · stock · band · pound · plane · bass

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. stock — shares
  4. band — a ring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a music group
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ground — crushed
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — goods
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument

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