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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — the time now
  12. band — a ring
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rock — a stone
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fine — high quality
  21. toast — bread
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a music group

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