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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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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: stock · perch · patient · pit · bass · band · deal · pass

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a ring
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — low music
  15. stock — shares
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bass — the fish
  24. patient — a sick person

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