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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — shares
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stock — goods
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mate — a partner
  20. can — a tin
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rash — a series
  24. cold — the Cold War

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