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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · fork · mouse · stock · pass · rule · stand · temple

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pop — soda
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rule — a law
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pop — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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