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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. key — the most important part
  3. toast — bread
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chip — to eat
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. net — after costs
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — for catching
  13. date — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chip — for betting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. net — in sport
  18. key — in music

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