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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · present · deal · mate · march · toast · squash · pitcher

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — magic
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — the month
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the sport
  12. toast — bread
  13. present — a gift
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — letters
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. present — the time now
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — to handle
  22. march — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — there

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