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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — the time now
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — there
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. toast — bread
  14. net — in sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. rock — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. net — after costs

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