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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. roll — a list
  6. spring — of water
  7. row — to paddle
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. last — finally
  10. pitch — completely
  11. toast — bread
  12. spring — the season
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. last — final
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spring — a coil
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. roll — a cake
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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