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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · object · toast · bass · leaves · hide · can · game

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — in sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. object — an aim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — after costs
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — low music
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. object — a thing
  24. can — to be able to

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