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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. kick — in football
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. suit — in cards
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. race — humankind
  19. roll — a cake
  20. board — to get on
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. race — a contest
  23. suit — clothes
  24. arm — a part of something

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