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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stock — goods
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stock — shares
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cap — a lid

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