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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: toast · suit · spell · shower · game · current · track · kick

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. suit — clothes
  3. current — happening now
  4. track — a song
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. game — a match
  8. shower — to wash
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spell — magic
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. current — electric
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kick — in football
  16. toast — bread
  17. suit — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — letters
  20. suit — to fit
  21. current — of water
  22. spell — a short time
  23. track — a path
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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