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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stock — shares
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. row — a line
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — to eat
  8. toast — bread
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — for betting
  17. row — to paddle
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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