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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: suit · fan · stock · spell · pound · deal · pass · wound

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. spell — magic
  9. stock — goods
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — letters
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stock — shares
  23. suit — clothes
  24. deal — a big deal

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