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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — a price
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stock — shares
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — a safe
  11. toast — bread
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mark — a trace
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — in control

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