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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: bass · stock · deal · roll · stand · sharp · fan · land

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. land — ground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — goods
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — to handle
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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