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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: bat · cap · jam · mug · season · board · bear · toast

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cap — a lid
  6. season — of the year
  7. mug — a cup
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. board — to get on
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. toast — bread
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bear — the animal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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