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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — of water
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. current — electric
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wake — a trail
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — of the year
  23. toast — bread
  24. deal — an agreement

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