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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 · cabinet · toast · deal · bear · can · last · pound

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. last — to go on
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. last — final
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — to handle
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pound — a weight
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. bear — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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