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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stock — shares
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fine — all right
  8. rock — music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. face — to confront
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — part of the head
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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