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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 · pit · spring · present · firm · ball · row · branch

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — there
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. branch — a division
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spring — of water
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. spring — the season
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ball — a great time
  14. firm — steady
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. firm — decided
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. firm — a company
  20. spring — a coil
  21. toast — bread
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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