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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — goods
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stock — shares
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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