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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 · bore · fan · bay · pass · stand · mine · pop

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — shares
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stand — on your feet

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