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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. row — a line
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitch — completely

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