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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. root — the cause
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. season — of the year
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. season — in sport
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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