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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. key — in music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fine — high quality
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. swing — music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. toast — bread
  22. tear — from crying
  23. swing — to play on
  24. key — for a lock

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