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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.

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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: swing · wound · foot · stock · bass · cabinet · fall · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pop — to visit
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stock — goods
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — low music
  22. swing — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — an injury

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