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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.

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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 · prune · hand · firm · can · bass · stock · deal

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — low music
  4. hand — help
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. firm — a company
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — goods
  17. hand — in cards
  18. firm — steady
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — for tennis

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