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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. stock — shares
  10. toast — bread
  11. file — a document
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — final
  14. stock — goods
  15. last — finally
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. last — to go on
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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