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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — for money
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — final
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. last — finally

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