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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. capital — money
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. toast — bread
  7. mate — a partner
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. suit — in cards
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rule — government
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. capital — a city
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. suit — clothes
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. content — the amount
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. leaves — to go away

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