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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — a container
  6. court — of law
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. court — of a king
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bore — to drill
  14. court — for sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pop — soda

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