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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
468
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: cold · chip · bore · band · bass · bear · stock · cabinet

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bass — the fish
  8. band — a ring
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. band — a music group
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bass — low music

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