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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pit — in a race
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. craft — a skill
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. toast — bread
  13. net — in sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pit — a hole

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