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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. toast — bread
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stand — on your feet

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