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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: object · ground · mouse · ball · deal · toast · season · march

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. season — of the year
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — crushed
  11. march — music
  12. object — a thing
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — a position
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. march — the month
  19. object — to protest
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. season — in sport

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