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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: present · season · pop · stock · swing · pass · shower · hide

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stock — shares
  3. pop — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. swing — to play on
  6. present — there
  7. swing — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — in sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — rain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. present — a gift
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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