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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 116 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: trunk · coach · mark · bass · bowl · stock · ball · wave

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — low music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bowl — a dish

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