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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 · stand · tube · wake · spring · chair · present · stock

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. tube — a container
  4. spring — the season
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. stock — goods
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spring — of water
  13. stock — shares
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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