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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: content · race · degree · pass · stock · pit · bat · mate

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. race — a contest
  4. degree — from a university
  5. content — the amount
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stock — goods
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. content — happy
  22. race — humankind
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stock — shares

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