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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pop — music
  17. toast — bread
  18. coach — a trainer

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