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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: staff · mark · bowl · toast · pitcher · ground · deal · suit

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — a grade
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. toast — bread
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ground — the earth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ground — crushed
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — clothes

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