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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 116 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: bass · stand · stock · fine · pass · mate · staff · capital

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. stand — to bear
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — low music
  4. capital — a city
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stock — shares
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. capital — money
  10. stock — goods
  11. staff — employees
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — all right
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — a partner
  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