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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — steady
  9. key — for a lock
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — the season
  12. toast — bread
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. net — after costs
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. present — there
  20. ball — a dance
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — a gift

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