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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. toast — bread
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rash — hasty
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — tied together
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bound — certain
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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