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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: stock · last · leaves · land · rule · degree · present · pass

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — the time now
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — a gift
  9. land — ground
  10. last — finally
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. degree — from a university
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. degree — temperature
  19. last — final
  20. rule — government
  21. last — to go on
  22. present — there
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rule — a law

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