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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. scale — size or range
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. degree — an amount
  12. scale — in music
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. board — to get on
  17. degree — temperature
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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