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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rock · bass · sharp · mug · capital · rash · pound · stock

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stock — goods
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rash — hasty
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rash — a series
  24. bass — the instrument

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