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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — goods
  11. field — for sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — final
  15. field — farmland
  16. toast — bread
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — shares
  21. field — a subject
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — a soup base

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