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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: deal · craft · stock · chip · bass · pop · present · straw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — goods
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — boats
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — music
  19. present — the time now
  20. chip — for betting
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. present — there
  24. craft — a handicraft

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