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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cue — a signal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. game — a match
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cue — for pool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ground — the earth
  19. drill — army training
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cue — a hint
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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