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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a music group
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — shares
  17. capital — a city
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — all right
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. band — a ring

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