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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: swing · stock · rest · firm · bass · stand · perch · roll

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — goods
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — low music
  10. rest — a break
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stand — to bear
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. firm — a company
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. firm — decided
  24. roll — a list

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