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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — wild animals
  8. last — final
  9. stem — to come from
  10. last — finally
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. stock — goods
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stock — shares
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pop — music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — to go on
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pop — to visit

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