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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 116 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
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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: clip · mug · pass · ball · stock · swing · fan · rush

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stock — shares
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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