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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: last · stock · leaves · staff · toast · tear · pitch · cap

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. last — finally
  3. stock — goods
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cap — of ice
  6. toast — bread
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitch — completely
  17. last — to go on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — final
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — employees
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — a stick
  24. leaves — to go away

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