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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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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 · last · staff · game · bowl · mine · wake · rule

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. staff — employees
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. last — finally
  8. rule — government
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. staff — employees
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. staff — a stick
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rule — a law
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. last — to go on
  21. game — a match
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. toast — bread

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