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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ball — a dance
  5. key — in music
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mate — a friend
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ball — a great time
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mate — a partner
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mate — to breed
  19. press — a publisher
  20. key — the most important part
  21. press — to push
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — wild animals

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