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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
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: stock · rush · cell · pitcher · pop · hide · bass · mouse

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — soda
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — goods

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