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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. last — finally
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — final
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. date — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pass — a permit
  23. branch — a division
  24. last — to go on

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