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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: wound · rock · pass · pop · patient · stock · fan · degree

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. pop — music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — shares
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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