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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 · toast · bear · wake · pop · staff · bat · mug

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — soda
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. staff — employees
  16. season — in sport
  17. bat — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — a stick
  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