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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stock — shares
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mug — a cup
  12. land — a country
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rest — a break
  16. mug — a face
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. land — to come down
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — what's left

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