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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. stock — goods
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. scale — size or range
  14. toast — bread
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. stock — shares
  22. snap — to click
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mate — a partner

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