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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. present — the time now
  3. object — to protest
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. current — of water
  6. object — a thing
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ground — crushed
  12. object — an aim
  13. ground — the earth
  14. present — there
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitch — completely
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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