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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. toast — bread
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cue — a hint
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mate — a friend
  18. march — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. board — a committee
  21. mate — to breed
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bulb — of a plant

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