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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: patient · bass · pass · press · stock · pop · coach · pit

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pop — soda
  8. press — to push
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stock — shares
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stock — a soup base

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