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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stock — goods
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — tied together

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