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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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Word bank
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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 · pop · stick · pass · straw · lean · season · nail

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pop — soda
  11. lean — thin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stock — goods
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — of the year
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — in sport
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lean — to bend

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