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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. foot — a measure
  6. key — the most important part
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. pit — a hole
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rush — hurry
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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