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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. net — in sport
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pop — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — after costs
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rash — a series
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — for catching
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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