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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: mouse · present · toast · kid · spell · patient · date · pitch

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. date — the fruit
  3. kid — child
  4. spell — magic
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kid — to tease
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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