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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 · current · bear · net · pop · suit · cabinet · cell

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — soda
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pop — to visit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — music
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — a phone
  18. current — electric
  19. net — in sport
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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