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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. toast — bread
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. staff — a stick
  10. game — a match
  11. key — in music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. key — for a lock
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. game — wild animals

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