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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. club — for dancing
  3. toast — bread
  4. march — music
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. land — to come down
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for golf
  16. land — ground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — boats
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — a permit
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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