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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spring — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — an aim
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. object — to protest
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — a coil
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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