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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bound — certain
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — bread
  20. game — wild animals
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. deal — to handle

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