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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. degree — an amount
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bank — of a river
  18. face — to point toward
  19. land — a country
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. degree — from a university

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