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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: trunk · pitcher · stand · bass · current · rest · pass · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — low music
  4. stock — shares
  5. pass — a permit
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rest — a break
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pass — to spend time

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