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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. club — for dancing
  4. net — after costs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — for catching
  9. row — to paddle
  10. club — for golf
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. net — in sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. race — humankind
  16. row — a line
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. race — a contest
  21. club — a group
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cue — a signal

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