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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — for pool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — goods
  9. capital — a city
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. capital — money
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — shares

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