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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. wake — a trail
  5. present — a gift
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — money
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. club — a group
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. craft — boats
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. club — for golf
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. club — for dancing
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. capital — a city

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