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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — low music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cue — a hint
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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