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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rest — a break
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. craft — boats
  12. present — there
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — a gift
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. present — the time now
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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