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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: stock · cabinet · arm · rock · pitch · pass · last · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. stock — shares
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. last — finally
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. last — final
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — part of the body
  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