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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — finally
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rash — a series
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tube — a container
  11. rash — hasty
  12. last — final
  13. can — a tin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. last — to go on
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bat — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — to get on
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — a committee
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. can — to be able to

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