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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. key — in music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — the most important part
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — in football
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — bread
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. key — for a lock
  24. sharp — with an edge

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