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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — the cause
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fine — all right
  13. lean — to bend
  14. key — the most important part
  15. swing — in golf
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — to play on
  18. root — of a word
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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