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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: stick · stock · court · toast · wake · rash · date · ground

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ground — a position
  4. court — of a king
  5. stock — goods
  6. toast — bread
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. court — of law
  9. wake — a trail
  10. date — the fruit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rash — a series
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — for sport
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stock — shares
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wake — before a funeral

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