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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. net — for catching
  3. cue — for pool
  4. roll — a list
  5. net — in sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. net — after costs
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stock — shares
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. toast — bread
  18. stock — goods
  19. degree — from a university
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stock — a soup base

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