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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: arm · stock · stand · wake · staff · bass · pop · lean

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lean — to bend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — soda
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stock — goods
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lean — thin

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