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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. toast — bread
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bass — low music
  15. stock — goods
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stock — shares
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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