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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stock — shares
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lean — thin
  15. stock — goods
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stand — for spectators

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