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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: sharp · stock · date · bass · staff · fine · bear · wind

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — all right
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stock — goods
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — shares
  23. fine — high quality
  24. date — on the calendar

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