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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 120 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: mate · bass · prune · pass · stock · track · shower · bear

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — low music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — shares
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. shower — rain
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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