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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: bark · roll · last · bass · deal · object · suit · stock

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — final
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stock — shares
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. deal — to handle
  12. object — to protest
  13. roll — a list
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — clothes
  16. object — an aim
  17. bass — low music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. roll — a cake
  20. last — finally
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. suit — in cards
  24. deal — an agreement

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