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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. branch — a division
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. present — a gift
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. swing — music
  20. present — there
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. present — the time now
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bat — the animal

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