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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mate — a partner
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. toast — bread
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rash — a series
  11. mate — to breed
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — tied together
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — to get on
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. board — a committee
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — certain
  24. foot — a measure

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