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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 · fan · prune · pitcher · pass · roll · suit · cabinet

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stock — goods
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — a list
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pass — a permit
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stock — shares

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