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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: toast · mark · stick · club · rock · mouse · pop · cell

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — soda
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for golf
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. toast — bread
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — music
  19. club — a group
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. toast — the most admired

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