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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — a line
  10. court — of a king
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mate — a friend
  18. toast — bread
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. row — to paddle
  23. court — of law
  24. row — a quarrel

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