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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. toast — bread
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stock — shares
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bound — certain
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. foot — the bottom

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