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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. toast — bread
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. band — a music group
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a trace
  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