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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mug — a face
  3. content — happy
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — the amount
  9. stock — shares
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rash — a series
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stock — goods
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mug — a cup
  21. toast — bread
  22. mark — a grade
  23. charge — in control
  24. mug — to rob

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