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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — all right
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ball — a great time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — a country
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. land — to come down
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — ground
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. toast — bread
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. perch — for a bird

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