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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · mate · bark · pop · snap · stock · chair · cabinet

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. snap — to click
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pop — soda
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — shares
  24. chair — a leader

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