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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · board · present · mine · pitcher · toast · date · lash

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. present — a gift
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ground — a position
  6. toast — bread
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — the time now
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — there
  11. board — to get on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mine — for digging
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — the earth

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