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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · ground · date · toast · branch · mouse

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ground — crushed
  10. toast — bread
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. branch — a division
  17. firm — decided
  18. date — the fruit

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