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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 · stock · lean · ground · bass · suit · jam · sharp

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — low music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. deal — to handle
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — a position
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. suit — clothes
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stock — goods
  20. suit — to fit
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stock — shares
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ground — the earth

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