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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — goods
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. object — an aim
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stand — to bear
  11. clip — a video
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. clip — for paper
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — shares
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. clip — to cut
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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