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

Word bank: craft · band · pit · stock · cell · pass

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a ring
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — shares
  18. pass — to succeed

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