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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tube — the underground
  8. suit — in cards
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. race — humankind
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — a series
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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