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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — a short time
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. toast — bread
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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