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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — bread
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. last — final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. press — newspapers
  14. club — for golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — in cards
  24. foot — a measure

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