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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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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: date · cold · pound · toast · club · mug · bay · bowl

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. club — for golf
  4. cold — not warm
  5. club — a group
  6. toast — bread
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mug — to rob
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mug — a face
  24. date — on the calendar

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