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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — the cause
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. root — of a plant
  7. toast — bread
  8. club — a group
  9. mark — a trace
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a word
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — shares
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stock — goods
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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