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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. drill — army training
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cue — a signal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. toast — bread
  20. squash — the sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cue — a hint
  24. squash — the vegetable

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