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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mate — a partner
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — in sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. dip — to sink
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mate — a friend
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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