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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 120 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: bay · kick · track · bass · band · current · wax · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. current — electric
  4. band — a ring
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — happening now
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kick — in football
  12. track — a song
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. current — of water
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. stock — shares
  18. band — a music group
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — low music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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