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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: date · stick · stock · mouse · key · capital · bass · object

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bass — low music
  5. capital — a city
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. capital — money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. object — to protest
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — the most important part
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. object — a thing
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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