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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bound — obliged
  3. last — to go on
  4. board — to get on
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. capital — a city
  7. march — the month
  8. last — final
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — tied together
  11. last — finally
  12. march — music
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bound — certain
  15. mate — a partner
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. capital — money
  20. march — the month
  21. board — a committee
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ball — a dance
  24. toast — bread

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