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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. content — happy
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — electric
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. current — happening now
  18. face — to confront
  19. bat — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. court — for sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. court — of a king
  24. cue — a hint

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