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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 · pitcher · game · prune · can · pop · suit · dip

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. toast — bread
  5. suit — to fit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — a match
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. suit — in cards

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