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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 120 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: wind · rest · spring · pass · stock · chip · pound · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rest — a break
  10. stock — goods
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spring — of water
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — the season
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — shares
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pound — a weight

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