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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. toast — bread
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fine — all right
  19. mine — for digging
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — the instrument

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