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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. last — finally
  10. rash — a series
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. field — a subject
  16. suit — clothes
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. suit — in cards

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