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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — goods
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. band — a ring
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. toast — the most admired

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