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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: roll · mouse · pitcher · toast · pit · face · bank · cap

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. roll — a list
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cap — of ice

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