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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 · cap · track · chip · pop · rash · stock · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — hasty
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — shares
  24. chip — for betting

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