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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. key — for a lock
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — the most important part
  6. swing — music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — in music
  22. toast — bread
  23. pass — a permit
  24. date — on the calendar

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