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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. roll — a list
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — the season
  6. race — a contest
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — of a king
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. court — of law
  17. toast — bread
  18. race — the arms race
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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