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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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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: date · ground · stick · craft · band · mug · toast · firm

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — decided
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mug — to rob
  9. craft — boats
  10. ground — a position
  11. craft — a skill
  12. band — a ring
  13. mug — a face
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. date — the fruit
  20. band — a music group
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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