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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: game · kid · stock · pass · rush · prune · bass · bowl

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kid — child
  5. game — a match
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stock — goods
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kid — to tease

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