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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. season — of the year
  4. firm — a company
  5. mug — to rob
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — a face
  9. roll — a cake
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — bread
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. row — to paddle
  19. season — in sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. roll — a list

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