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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. toast — bread
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. firm — steady
  16. shower — rain
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stock — shares
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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