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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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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — goods
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fall — to drop
  6. degree — from a university
  7. toast — bread
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — a stick
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stock — shares
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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