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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. date — the fruit
  13. toast — bread
  14. land — a country
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — to come down
  17. bass — low music
  18. charge — in control
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. land — ground

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