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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — in music
  8. track — a path
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — of a river
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — to keep track

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