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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: fall · chest · mouse · squash · bass · current · stock · stem

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — of water
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. stock — shares
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — low music
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. current — happening now
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — electric
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stock — goods
  24. stem — of a plant

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