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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. roll — a list
  7. bound — tied together
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pit — in a race
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a music group
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — obliged
  20. band — a ring
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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