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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pop — to visit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pop — soda
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a document
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. file — a tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — in cards

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