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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: jam · stand · stock · saw · bass · shower · chest · ball

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stock — goods
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — shares
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bass — low music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chest — a box
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — the tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chest — of your body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bass — the fish
  24. shower — to wash

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