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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. club — for dancing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — bread
  12. capital — a city
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. club — for golf
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — a group

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