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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — bread
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — to bear
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. clip — a video
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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