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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cold · bear · bass · deal · perch · lash · date · stock

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bass — the fish
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — goods
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — low music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cold — an illness
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stock — a soup base

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