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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. spell — magic
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. field — for sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — for golf
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. deal — an agreement

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