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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: bass · cell · jam · scale · lie · coach · stock · lean

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — thin
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bass — low music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bass — the fish
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stock — shares
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stock — a soup base

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