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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: pass · cap · perch · saw · lean · stock · rush · game

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — goods
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. perch — the fish
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a match
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — hurry
  18. game — wild animals
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pass — a permit

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