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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — high quality
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. scale — in music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. toast — bread
  21. fork — in a road
  22. object — a thing
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. object — an aim

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