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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. roll — a cake
  4. toast — bread
  5. object — to protest
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. season — of the year
  9. cue — a hint
  10. object — a thing
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. object — an aim
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. ground — a position
  18. mark — a grade
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. cue — a signal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — for pool

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