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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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 — bread
  3. roll — a list
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the sport
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cue — a hint
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — a permit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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