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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 · tear · board · stock · rock · mine · mug · cabinet

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. board — a committee
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — to move gently

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