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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chest — a box
  18. stock — goods
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cue — for pool

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