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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — to paddle
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. row — a line
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — a quarrel

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