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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chest — a box
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. toast — bread
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chest — of your body

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