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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. court — of law
  3. key — in music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pit — a hole
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bore — to drill
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. court — for sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. last — to go on
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. key — for a lock

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