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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. land — to come down
  4. court — of a king
  5. toast — bread
  6. land — a country
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. court — for sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. land — ground
  12. court — of law
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rock — music
  15. object — a thing
  16. kick — in football
  17. object — to protest
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. press — newspapers
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rock — a stone
  22. object — an aim
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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