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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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468
Word bank
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. key — in music
  5. toast — bread
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. content — the amount
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mate — to breed
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kid — child
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pitch — completely

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