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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 116 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: chip · last · saw · stock · pass · nail · march · patient

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. saw — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — to go on
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. last — final
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. last — finally
  24. stock — goods

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