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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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. capital — a big letter
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. snap — to click
  6. present — the time now
  7. pound — a weight
  8. present — there
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — a gift
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — a publisher
  16. capital — a city
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. capital — money
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. press — to push
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bound — certain

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