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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: last · tube · jam · rest · toast · staff · mug · scale

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rest — what's left
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. staff — employees
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mug — to rob
  11. last — to go on
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — finally
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — a container

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