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

Word bank: straw · present · ball · stick · toast · foot

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. present — the time now
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time

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