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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 120 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: pound · pass · stock · nail · pop · season · bowl · tube

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — of the year
  17. pound — a weight
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — in sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — a container

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