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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. charge — electricity
  3. object — an aim
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. object — to protest
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. object — a thing
  18. stock — goods
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. charge — a price
  23. drill — army training
  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