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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. stock — goods
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chip — for betting
  7. drill — army training
  8. chip — to eat
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. drill — the tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. snap — to click
  23. can — a tin
  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