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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: stock · rule · cabinet · track · bass · rock · swing · degree

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stock — goods
  4. track — to keep track
  5. swing — to play on
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — shares
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a song
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — government
  19. track — a path
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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