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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. press — a publisher
  6. last — finally
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. content — the amount
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — newspapers
  12. last — final
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spring — the season
  15. content — happy
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. spring — of water
  21. pass — a permit
  22. press — to push
  23. spring — a coil
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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