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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spring — a coil
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rock — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pound — a weight
  24. toast — bread

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