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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. court — of law
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chip — for betting
  13. suit — in cards
  14. court — for sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mug — to rob
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mug — a cup
  22. court — of a king
  23. mug — a face
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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