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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · content · bass · scale · stock · bank · mine · calf

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stock — goods
  4. bank — for money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. scale — in music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bass — the fish
  23. scale — size or range
  24. calf — a young animal

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