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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: rush · deal · current · bass · stock · chair · game · bowl

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — low music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. current — electric
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — goods
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rush — hurry
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stock — shares
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. game — a match

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