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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · dip · fine · pass · pop · ball

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fine — all right
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stock — goods
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pop — music

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