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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — bread
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pit — a hole
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — a gift
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. present — the time now
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mouse — the animal

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