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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: cap · bay · net · mate · bat · toast · roll · last

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cap — a lid
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. toast — bread
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. roll — a list
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. net — for catching
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — in sport
  19. last — to go on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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