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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. swing — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. game — a match
  6. toast — bread
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. capital — a city
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. swing — in golf
  14. snap — to click
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. capital — money
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. capital — a big letter

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