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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: ball · bank · toast · hide · pit · stick

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — for money
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ball — a dance
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bank — for money
  18. hide — animal skin

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