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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stock — shares
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mug — a cup
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mug — to rob
  13. present — the time now
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. band — a music group
  16. present — a gift
  17. capital — money
  18. toast — bread
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — there
  21. band — a ring
  22. capital — a city
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stock — goods

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