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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: season · mug · bay · toast · rule · date · kid · ground

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — in sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ground — a position
  8. mug — a cup
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. toast — bread
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rule — a law

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