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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rule — a law
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — government
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. season — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. toast — bread
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. degree — from a university

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