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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: swing · roll · pass · cap · wake · toast · date · bark

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. toast — bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — a list
  7. wake — a trail
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. date — the fruit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. swing — music
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bark — to shout

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