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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: bass · trunk · rule · present · court · stock · lean · pass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stock — goods
  12. present — the time now
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — of a king
  15. present — there
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. court — for sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of law
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — shares
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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