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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stock — goods
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — a division
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — electric
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — a container
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. branch — of a bank
  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