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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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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bass — low music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stock — shares
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rule — a law
  15. stock — goods
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rock — a stone
  19. staff — employees
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bound — certain
  24. fall — the season

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