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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: current · temple · bass · stock · pitcher · cue · hand · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — to drop
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — low music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stock — goods
  24. hand — help

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