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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: date · bass · root · sharp · staff · bowl · vault · stock

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — goods
  5. root — of a word
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. root — of a plant
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — a safe
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. root — the cause
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. staff — employees
  19. sharp — clever
  20. date — the fruit
  21. staff — a stick
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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