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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — a short time
  4. toast — bread
  5. present — a gift
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pitch — completely
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. present — the time now
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — magic
  13. club — for golf
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — there
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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