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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: present · toast · deal · temple · straw · perch · mark · pitcher

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — a grade
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — a trace
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. perch — the fish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. present — a gift
  20. toast — bread
  21. present — there
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. straw — dry grass

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