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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. roll — a list
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lean — thin
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. toast — bread
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. track — a song
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. can — to be able to
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. roll — a cake
  19. track — a path
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. key — in music
  24. lean — to bend

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