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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. band — a ring
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wake — a trail
  11. key — for a lock
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fine — all right
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. band — a music group
  17. key — in music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fine — high quality

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