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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: fan · pound · mouse · squash · track · rest · toast · leaves

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rest — a break
  8. toast — bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — a song
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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