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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 116 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: pass · stock · sharp · wind · season · pit · chair · safe

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. season — of the year
  5. wind — moving air
  6. season — in sport
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pit — in a race
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pass — a permit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stock — shares
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — goods

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