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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 120 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 · fan · stock · saw · bass · cold · root · fine

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pass — a permit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stock — shares
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. root — of a word
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fine — all right
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — goods
  24. cold — not warm

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