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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — a gift
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. present — there
  16. rule — government
  17. pass — a permit
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — the time now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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