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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: bat · sharp · toast · pound · ground · suit · leaves · lie

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell 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. suit — clothes
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — a position
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. suit — to fit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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