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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. toast — bread
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pop — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — help
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wave — with your hand

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