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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stock — goods
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spell — magic
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — to go on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. scale — in music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. last — final
  24. pass — a permit

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