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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stock · tear · mouse · staff · cold · leaves · pop

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — shares
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — goods
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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