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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — a stick
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. toast — bread
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. game — a match
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. scale — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. shower — rain
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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