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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. key — the most important part
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. branch — a division
  12. key — in music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. squash — the sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bore — to drill
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — for a lock
  24. squash — the vegetable

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