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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. toast — bread
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — to come down
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. suit — in cards
  23. key — in music
  24. bowl — to roll

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