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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: can · bass · race · ball · stock · ground · bark · perch

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ground — a position
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stock — goods
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — shares
  17. race — a contest
  18. bass — low music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ground — the earth
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bark — of a tree

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