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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. band — a music group
  3. net — for catching
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — after costs
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. firm — decided
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — the most important part
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. firm — steady
  14. perch — the fish
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — a company
  19. toast — bread
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. band — a ring
  23. net — in sport
  24. key — for a lock

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