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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: hide · bass · jam · stock · pass · ground · court · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. bass — low music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. court — for sport
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. court — of a king
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — the earth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — of law
  22. stock — shares
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stock — goods

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