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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 · stock · wake · ruler · jam · last · row · chest

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. stock — goods
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. last — finally
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. last — to go on
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chest — a box
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. last — final
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pass — to spend time
  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