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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kick — in football
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — magic
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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