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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: rock · stock · bass · roll · ball · squash · lash · field

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — shares
  10. rock — music
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — a subject
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. field — farmland
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. field — for sport
  20. bass — low music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — on a roll

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