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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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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: bound · bat · cap · pass · stock · dip · wake · club

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bound — certain
  7. stock — shares
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stock — goods
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — for golf
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cap — a hat
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — a permit
  24. club — a group

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