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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — for golf
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — an aim
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — a gift
  16. object — a thing
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. object — to protest
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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