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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — in control
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fall — the season
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stock — goods
  18. toast — bread
  19. charge — a price
  20. ground — a position
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ground — the earth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stand — for spectators

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