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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. key — the most important part
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pop — soda
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a line
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lean — to bend
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pop — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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