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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. kid — child
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pop — music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. race — a contest
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. mug — a cup
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. race — humankind
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stock — goods
  24. pop — soda

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