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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: wake · tube · toast · ground · present · club · roll · row

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. present — a gift
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — a position
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. club — for dancing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. club — a group
  14. toast — bread
  15. present — there
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — a list
  20. tube — a container
  21. row — to paddle
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ground — crushed
  24. club — for golf

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