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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — in cards
  5. object — to protest
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ground — the earth
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — an aim
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ground — crushed
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. squash — to crush
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. suit — to fit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — a position
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — to bear

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