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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. last — to go on
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — finally
  10. pop — soda
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — in football
  22. last — final
  23. toast — bread
  24. rush — to hurry

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