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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. firm — a company
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. key — the most important part
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — a safe
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. game — wild animals

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