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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. spell — a short time
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. court — of law
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stock — shares
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spell — letters
  20. court — of a king
  21. key — in music
  22. court — for sport
  23. spell — magic
  24. stock — goods

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