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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. key — for a lock
  3. drill — the tool
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — clever
  9. toast — bread
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. drill — army training
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. squash — to crush
  15. key — in music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — the most important part

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