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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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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. field — a subject
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — shares
  24. net — after costs

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