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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: club · cabinet · bear · toast · root · pound · mug · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. toast — bread
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mug — a face
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a plant
  17. club — for golf
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. root — of a word
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cabinet — ministers

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