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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. toast — bread
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. vault — a safe
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. roll — a cake
  19. suit — to fit
  20. roll — a list
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. jam — a tight spot

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