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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stock — shares
  3. rash — a series
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rock — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — goods
  13. roll — a list
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. roll — a cake
  20. perch — the fish
  21. land — ground
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rock — a stone
  24. squash — the sport

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