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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. toast — bread
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pass — a permit
  8. current — happening now
  9. row — a line
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — a trainer

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