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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tube — a container
  3. present — there
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. club — for dancing
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stock — goods
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. club — a group
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — the time now
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — a country
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — shares
  23. land — ground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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