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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. key — in music
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — for a lock
  13. last — final
  14. roll — a cake
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a 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