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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. game — wild animals
  3. present — the time now
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. toast — bread
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — of water
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. present — a gift
  10. suit — clothes
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. spring — the season
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. suit — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — a coil
  18. game — a match

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