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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. present — there
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pop — soda
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pop — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. court — for sport
  14. toast — bread
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — of ice
  17. court — of a king
  18. content — the amount
  19. present — the time now
  20. court — of law
  21. present — a gift
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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