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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. pound — a weight
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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