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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. court — for sport
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. court — of a king
  10. toast — bread
  11. spring — of water
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — rain
  14. court — of law
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bank — for money
  18. cue — a signal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rule — a law
  22. bank — for money
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rule — government

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