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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: ground · snap · pass · swing · press · tube · roll · stock

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. tube — a container
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. roll — a list
  8. pass — a permit
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ground — the earth
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — crushed
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stock — shares
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stock — goods
  24. roll — a cake

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