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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: jam · rash · bear · toast · row · roll · stick · drill

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. toast — bread
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. row — to paddle
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. row — a line
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bear — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — army training
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — on the skin

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