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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: wake · pass · lean · band · stock · degree · saw · pop

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — the tool
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lean — to bend
  8. degree — temperature
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lean — thin
  16. band — a music group
  17. pop — to visit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pop — soda
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lean — to rest against

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