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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. hand — help
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. charge — a price
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — a position
  24. march — music

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