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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mark — a grade
  7. object — a thing
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mark — a trace
  10. foot — a measure
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. craft — boats

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