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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: lash · bass · pound · wound · swing · stock · wind · roll

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stock — goods
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — a list
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bass — low music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — shares
  24. swing — to play on

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