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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — of law
  4. stock — shares
  5. bass — low music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stock — goods
  9. court — for sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of a king
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time

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