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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: pass · cell · spell · court · stock · pop · fan · fall

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pop — soda
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — the season
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. pop — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — of a king
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stock — shares

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