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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. toast — bread
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stock — goods
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stock — shares
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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