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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stock — goods
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — to go on
  9. rest — a break
  10. last — finally
  11. mark — a trace
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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