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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. suit — clothes
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. kid — to tease
  11. field — farmland
  12. pound — a weight
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pass — a permit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. suit — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — for sport
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — a subject
  24. kid — child

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