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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: date · fall · pass · coach · stock · mine · bass · last

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — finally
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. last — final
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — the fish
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. last — to go on
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — low music

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