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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — a group
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — a gift
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — a hat
  10. scale — size or range
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. present — there
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. scale — in music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cap — of ice
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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