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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. suit — to fit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stock — goods
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cell — a phone
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — shares
  18. suit — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. toast — the most admired

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