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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: fan · plane · pass · content · pit · bound · stock · scale

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. content — happy
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stock — shares
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — goods
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. scale — in music
  24. content — the amount

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