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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stock — shares
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — a lid
  6. court — of a king
  7. charge — in control
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — for sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. safe — a strongbox

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