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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: club · toast · ball · snap · bat · march · bay · root

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a great time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. march — the month
  6. club — for golf
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. march — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. snap — to click
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ball — a dance
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. club — a group
  20. root — of a plant
  21. toast — bread
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. root — of a word
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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