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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: pass · staff · cold · scale · bowl · roll · dip · stock

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. staff — employees
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cold — not warm
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. roll — a cake
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stock — goods
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. roll — a list
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stock — shares
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — in music
  23. cold — an illness
  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