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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. present — the time now
  4. pit — in a race
  5. toast — bread
  6. net — in sport
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. field — farmland
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — a subject
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. present — there
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — for sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pit — a hole

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