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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: hide · band · stock · roll · ball · leaves · pass · club

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. club — for golf
  8. ball — a dance
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stock — goods
  11. band — a ring
  12. stock — shares
  13. roll — a list
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pass — a permit
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. band — a music group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a great time
  22. roll — a cake
  23. club — a group
  24. hide — to keep secret

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