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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. foot — a measure
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — to crush
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bound — certain
  23. wake — a trail
  24. toast — the most admired

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