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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. snap — to click
  3. drill — army training
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ground — the earth
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — for pool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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