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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. roll — a list
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — bread
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rush — hurry
  20. march — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — lets stay

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