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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. spell — a short time
  4. squash — to crush
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — what's left
  8. row — to paddle
  9. toast — bread
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spell — letters
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — in a road
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. spell — magic

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