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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: pop · toast · squash · mark · club · present · shower · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — music
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — to wash
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mark — a grade
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pop — soda
  10. firm — a company
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — the time now
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — rain
  15. toast — bread
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. present — a gift
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — there
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. club — for dancing

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