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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 116 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: chip · bass · stock · staff · last · lean · object · bark

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lean — thin
  3. stock — shares
  4. last — final
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — to go on
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bark — to shout
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — to bend
  23. object — an aim
  24. stock — a soup base

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