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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: can · current · field · suit · bass · stock · straw · stand

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stock — goods
  3. current — of water
  4. field — for sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bass — the fish
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — electric
  13. suit — to fit
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — to bear
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — a subject
  20. suit — in cards
  21. field — farmland
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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