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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. toast — bread
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — soda
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pop — music
  11. craft — boats
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pass — to spend time

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