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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 120 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: mine · tube · swing · bass · stock · ruler · dip · rock

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stock — shares
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stock — goods
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — a container
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rock — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the instrument

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