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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · pop · stock · last · rest · deal · coach · toast

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — bread
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — finally
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stock — goods
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pop — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pop — soda

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