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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: stick · board · cold · bear · prune · deal · bass · stock

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — goods
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. board — a committee
  22. cold — not warm
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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