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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: pitcher · mate · kid · toast · cue · rest · mark · bay

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — for pool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. toast — bread
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kid — child
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — a break

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