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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: deal · bass · scale · stock · foot · bear · file · wake

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stock — goods
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bass — low music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. deal — to handle
  16. file — a line of people
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stock — shares
  21. bear — the animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wake — before a funeral

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