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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ruler — for measuring

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