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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: toast · present · safe · pitcher · kick · rock · date · racket

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — there
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — in football
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — the time now
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. date — the fruit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rock — a stone

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