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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: club · mark · stick · ground · bowl · toast · mate · dip

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. club — for golf
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ground — a position
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a trace
  22. club — a group
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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