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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. track — a path
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitch — completely
  5. capital — money
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — government
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — a song
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. plane — a tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. capital — a city
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — certain
  23. track — to keep track
  24. toast — bread

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