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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — a container
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. race — the arms race
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mark — a trace
  10. roll — a cake
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. roll — a list
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — a price
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. charge — in control
  23. march — music
  24. mark — a grade

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