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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. toast — bread
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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