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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: bass · stick · pitcher · rash · rest · ball · stock · press

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — to push
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — shares
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rash — hasty
  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