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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. craft — a skill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. row — a line
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. row — to paddle
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kick — in football
  13. craft — boats
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mark — a grade
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mark — a trace
  23. toast — bread
  24. court — of a king

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