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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: bowl · stock · suit · prune · bass · rash · pass · perch

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stock — goods
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bass — low music

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