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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 · swing · fall · stock · suit · straw · mate · pound

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stock — shares
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fall — the season
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — to fit
  14. swing — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bass — low music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pound — a weight

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