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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wake — a trail
  4. march — the month
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spell — magic
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spell — a short time
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — a weight
  17. key — in music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. toast — bread
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — letters
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. toast — the most admired

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