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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: staff · date · mine · suit · fan · firm · band · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — bread
  5. staff — a stick
  6. suit — in cards
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — decided
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. firm — a company
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. suit — clothes

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