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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. toast — bread
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — completely

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