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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: stock · bass · patient · scale · track · firm · deal · fork

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. firm — decided
  3. deal — to handle
  4. firm — a company
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — low music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stock — shares
  19. fork — in a road
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fork — a garden 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