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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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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 · tear · court · rock · fan · stand · stock · pitcher

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. rock — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. court — for sport
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. court — of a king
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. court — of law
  24. fan — to cool the air

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