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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chair — a leader
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. key — the most important part
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pitch — completely
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. clip — to cut
  15. toast — bread
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. suit — to fit
  18. clip — a video
  19. foot — a measure
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. track — to keep track
  24. suit — clothes

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