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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stock — shares
  3. pass — a permit
  4. charge — a price
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — goods
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. toast — bread
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — for golf
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fork — in a road
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stand — to bear
  24. craft — a skill

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