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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. content — the amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. club — a group
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tear — to rip
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. club — for dancing
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — for golf
  24. content — happy

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