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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. track — to keep track
  3. band — a music group
  4. race — a contest
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — humankind
  7. stock — shares
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — a price
  11. toast — bread
  12. track — a path
  13. craft — a skill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. race — the arms race
  16. band — a ring
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. charge — in control
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. stock — goods
  23. foot — a measure
  24. craft — boats

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