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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — in cards
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — low music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chip — for betting
  24. arm — part of the body

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