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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pitcher · bulb · object · bass · last · pound · court

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. court — of a king
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. last — finally
  10. object — a thing
  11. last — final
  12. object — to protest
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — an aim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — to go on

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