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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. court — of a king
  5. bulb — for light
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. drill — army training
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cue — a hint
  18. court — for sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rash — a series
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bulb — for light

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