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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. drill — army training
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lean — to bend
  8. drill — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lean — thin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fork — in a road
  24. toast — bread

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