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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 · rush · bark · pitcher · land · mug · firm · plane

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rush — hurry
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. toast — bread
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. firm — steady
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — a country
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. land — to come down
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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