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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — final
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. toast — bread
  9. stock — shares
  10. rest — a break
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — finally
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. perch — the fish
  17. last — to go on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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