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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 · fork · rush · tear · last · bark · swing · stock

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. last — finally
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fork — in a road
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stock — shares
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stock — goods
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — a thrill

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