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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. march — music
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — in sport
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — of law
  14. toast — bread
  15. march — the month
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — of a king
  18. march — the month
  19. net — after costs
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rest — a break
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bulb — for light

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