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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. key — for a lock
  3. track — a song
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. present — there
  10. track — a path
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cap — of ice
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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