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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. prune — to trim
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — for a lock
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. march — the month
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. spell — letters
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — for betting
  24. march — music

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