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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. land — a country
  7. wake — a trail
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. club — a group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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