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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. cue — a hint
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. last — final
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rock — music
  11. last — finally
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — to go on
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. patient — a sick person

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