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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. field — a subject
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — in music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pass — a permit
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a lid
  22. field — for sport
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — of ice

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