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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rest — a break
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of a king
  6. toast — bread
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wake — a trail
  9. court — of law
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — for sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cap — a hat

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