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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 · prune · patient · bowl · can · key · bat · arm

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — for a lock
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bat — the animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. toast — bread
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. key — in music
  24. bowl — to roll

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