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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: tear · present · stock · spell · charge · pass · bat · race

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. race — a contest
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — letters
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. spell — magic
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stock — shares
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. race — humankind
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. tear — from crying
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tear — from crying
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. present — a gift
  24. pass — to spend time

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