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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. land — ground
  4. lean — to bend
  5. roll — a list
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. roll — a cake
  13. toast — bread
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — clothes
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. court — for sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. suit — to fit
  22. land — a country
  23. lean — thin
  24. jam — in traffic

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