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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stock — goods
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — shares
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. land — to come down
  12. pit — a hole
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — a country
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. land — ground
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mark — a trace
  24. scale — size or range

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