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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — child
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. band — a music group
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chair — a leader
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — a grade
  20. band — a ring
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. perch — for a bird

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