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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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. suit — in cards
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pop — soda
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. kid — to tease
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. suit — to fit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. suit — clothes

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