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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. shower — rain
  10. toast — bread
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — a container
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pit — in a race
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — the underground
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. scale — for weighing

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