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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. date — the fruit
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. toast — bread
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — decided
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. race — the arms race
  18. firm — a company
  19. race — humankind
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — soda
  23. race — a contest
  24. date — on the calendar

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