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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: fine · stock · squash · rest · roll · coach · bark · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — goods
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — all right
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. roll — a list
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bass — the instrument

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