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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. present — a gift
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. last — to go on
  5. bass — low music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — there
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — in music
  13. present — the time now
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. key — the most important part
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — final
  20. bass — the fish
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — for a lock
  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