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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — in sport
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rule — government
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. row — a line
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — a law
  20. stock — goods
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a quarrel

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