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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · tube · foot · ball · file · pass · mouse · leaves

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. tube — a container
  3. file — a line of people
  4. tube — the underground
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a document
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. file — a tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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