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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: cap · field · stock · trunk · pass · suit · lash · bass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bass — low music
  5. stock — shares
  6. field — for sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. field — farmland
  9. bass — the fish
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. suit — clothes

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