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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chest — a box
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. object — an aim
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — in music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pop — to visit
  21. object — a thing
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chest — of your body

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