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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 · mug · season · date · pop · pass · patient · snap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — a cup
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. season — in sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — shares
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. snap — to click
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — a face
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pop — soda
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pop — music
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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