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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: stock · board · bass · rest · kid · game · pit · wave

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. board — to get on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bass — low music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stock — shares
  23. kid — child
  24. rest — what's left

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