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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. toast — bread
  4. rock — a stone
  5. net — for catching
  6. rock — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. net — after costs
  16. content — happy
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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