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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · suit · toast · stock · jam · rush · last · bound

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bound — certain
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. stock — shares
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — to go on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. file — a line of people
  16. toast — bread
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — goods
  21. file — a document
  22. suit — to fit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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