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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. last — final
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a committee
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stock — goods
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — bread
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. suit — clothes
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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