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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 · present · toast · branch · game · hide · bay · kid

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kid — to tease
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — wild animals
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pop — music
  10. kid — child
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. toast — bread
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — soda
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — a gift
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — there
  24. toast — the most admired

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