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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: last · stock · wound · ball · staff · wave · bass · kick

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. last — to go on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. last — final
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — in football

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