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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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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: pass · stick · race · stock · snap · bass · toast · game

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — shares
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — a match
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. race — the arms race
  14. toast — bread
  15. stock — goods
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. race — a contest
  21. bass — low music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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