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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: stem · bass · pitch · court · stick · staff · wax · stock

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bass — low music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — employees
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stock — goods
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wax — for sculpting

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