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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. toast — bread
  3. rash — a series
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — goods
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. firm — decided
  10. track — a path
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stock — shares
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. firm — steady
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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