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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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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: wind · face · stock · bass · cabinet · arm · stick · pitcher

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — low music
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stock — goods
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stock — shares

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