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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: wave · content · can · coach · roll · stock · game · bass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — shares
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — goods
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. roll — a list
  19. game — a match
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bass — the fish
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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