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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fine — high quality
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. capital — money
  11. squash — the sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — a city
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — all right
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — a penalty

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