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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cell — a phone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — bread
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — of the year
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — farmland
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — in cards
  18. field — a subject
  19. pound — a weight
  20. field — for sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — clothes

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