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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bank — for money
  3. degree — from a university
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — of the year
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — a group
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. degree — temperature
  14. club — for golf
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. suit — clothes
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — to fit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. club — for dancing
  24. suit — in cards

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