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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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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: stock · saw · pop · bass · roll · vault · wound · deal

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stock — goods
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bass — the fish
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. vault — a safe
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. roll — a list
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stock — shares
  24. saw — the tool

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