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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — bread
  3. roll — a cake
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — electricity
  6. roll — a list
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. key — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. date — the fruit
  20. charge — a price
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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