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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — in cards
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. object — a thing
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rock — a stone
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. suit — to fit
  12. content — happy
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rock — music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. field — farmland

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