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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. row — a line
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — in cards
  9. row — to paddle
  10. court — of a king
  11. mate — to breed
  12. court — for sport
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. court — of law
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mine — for digging
  22. suit — to fit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — clothes

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