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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — bread
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a match
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rest — a break
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. saw — the tool

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