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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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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — a thing
  4. stock — shares
  5. object — to protest
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — goods
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. face — to point toward
  11. content — happy
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rock — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pop — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pop — soda
  22. content — the amount
  23. object — an aim
  24. face — to confront

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