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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: bass · content · can · stock · straw · rest · cap · pop

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pop — soda
  6. stock — goods
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — dry grass

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