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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mark — a trace
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — certain
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spell — letters
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — for betting
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mark — a grade

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