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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: bass · suit · rush · stock · racket · shower · game · wind

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. game — a match
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — clothes
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. shower — rain
  15. stock — shares
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. suit — in cards
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stock — goods

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