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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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. club — a group
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. foot — a measure
  6. band — a music group
  7. club — for golf
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. toast — bread
  10. rule — a law
  11. pop — soda
  12. band — a ring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pit — a hole
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pop — to visit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rule — government

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