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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 · mark · rest · cold · ball · squash · jam · last

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — the sport
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cold — an illness
  8. last — final
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — to crush
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — a trace
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. toast — bread
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cold — not warm
  23. last — to go on
  24. mark — a grade

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