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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — to keep track
  17. last — to go on
  18. toast — bread

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