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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — a series
  11. rest — a break
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spell — magic
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — for betting
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — a stick

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