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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: dip · foot · sharp · stock · band · bass · calf · wind

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bass — the fish
  5. band — a ring
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stock — goods
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — shares

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