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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — to breed
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a match
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — a friend
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — out of danger

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