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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: pitcher · suit · bark · game · toast · mug · date · cabinet

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bark — to shout
  3. suit — to fit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a face
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — the fruit
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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