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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. club — for golf
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — a group
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. last — final
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. last — finally
  13. pass — a permit
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. last — to go on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. club — for dancing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. saw — the tool

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