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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: mug · jam · tear · stock · foot · pass · spell · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — letters
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mug — a face
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pass — a permit
  16. spell — magic
  17. mug — to rob
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — goods
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — shares
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — a cup

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