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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — shares
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — a tin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — in control
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — to be able to

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