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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rest — a break
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. toast — bread
  10. current — of water
  11. cue — a signal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cue — a hint
  14. file — a document
  15. current — electric
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — happening now
  18. scale — in music

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