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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 · bat · pass · scale · tube · toast · stock · drill

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tube — a container
  5. toast — bread
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. drill — army training
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. scale — in music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stock — goods
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pop — music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — shares

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