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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: firm · stick · present · toast · ball · mate · march · mug

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a dance
  5. toast — bread
  6. firm — steady
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a friend
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — there
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. march — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mug — a cup
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. present — a gift
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mate — a partner

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