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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: bass · pass · land · dip · can · stock · season · bear

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. land — to come down
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bass — low music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. season — of the year
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. dip — to sink
  24. season — in sport

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