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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: bore · rock · charge · deal · tear · stock · mouse · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tear — to rip
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — goods
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stock — shares
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. charge — a price

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