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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: rash · coach · stock · rest · object · pass · bat · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — a series
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — goods
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. object — an aim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rest — a break
  22. rash — hasty
  23. object — to protest
  24. pass — to succeed

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