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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: stock · jam · pass · shower · firm · bay · march · ball

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. firm — a company
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. firm — steady
  7. shower — to wash
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — goods
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — decided
  22. march — music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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