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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · pop · stock · rest · swing · bank · rock · pass

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pop — music
  4. swing — music
  5. court — for sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stock — goods
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of law
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. court — of a king
  18. stock — shares
  19. rock — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pop — soda
  23. rest — what's left
  24. swing — in golf

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