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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: roll · staff · band · bass · stock · deal · wake · board

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a ring
  4. staff — employees
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. deal — to handle
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — low music
  17. roll — a list
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stock — shares
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. stock — goods

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