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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: bass · rush · foot · can · firm · ground · capital · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bass — low music
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. firm — steady
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — a company
  8. capital — money
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — decided
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stock — goods
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. capital — a city
  20. rush — hurry
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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