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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — goods
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. degree — from a university
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pop — music
  19. fall — the season
  20. pop — soda
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hide — animal skin

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