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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: bank · cap · pass · mouse · toast · object · bear · ground

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bank — for money
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. object — an aim
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. toast — bread
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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