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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a path
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. march — music
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. pit — in a race
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. firm — steady
  23. toast — bread
  24. track — a song

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