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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — a trace
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — to eat
  18. toast — bread
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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