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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. present — there
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. present — a gift
  6. club — for golf
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a list
  16. track — a path
  17. club — a group
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — a break
  21. track — a song
  22. can — a tin
  23. toast — bread
  24. club — for dancing

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