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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: race · toast · season · branch · key · fan · mark · mug

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mark — a grade
  10. branch — a division
  11. race — a contest
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. season — in sport
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mug — a cup
  16. key — for a lock
  17. race — humankind
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — the most important part
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. mug — a face

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