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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. last — final
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — for golf
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. craft — a skill
  14. club — a group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — for dancing
  17. last — finally
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. snap — to click
  23. last — to go on
  24. toast — bread

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