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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. board — a committee
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — bread
  10. rest — a break
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. date — the fruit
  13. club — a group
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for golf
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. board — to get on

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