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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. key — for a lock
  6. perch — the fish
  7. field — a subject
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. firm — steady
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — in music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. firm — decided
  16. key — the most important part
  17. snap — to click
  18. vault — a safe
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. firm — a company
  24. pass — to spend time

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