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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fine — all right
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — a signal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. roll — a list
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fine — a penalty

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