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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — tied together
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. land — a country
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mug — a face
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bound — certain
  19. land — to come down
  20. roll — a list
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mug — to rob

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