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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · rock · wound · roll · game · bass · face · mug

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bass — low music
  7. stock — shares
  8. roll — a list
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — to point toward
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. game — a match
  21. wound — an injury
  22. face — to confront
  23. mug — a cup
  24. face — part of the head

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