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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. club — for dancing
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — for golf
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — in music
  15. drill — army training
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — a practice
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. racket — for tennis
  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