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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 · kid · can · shower · stock · wax · rule · ball

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stock — goods
  5. shower — rain
  6. kid — child
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rule — government
  12. kid — to tease
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stock — shares
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rule — a law

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