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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chest — a box
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cell — in biology
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a grade
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fork — to eat with

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