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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · file · bay · arm · fine · ball · kid · key

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fine — all right
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. key — the most important part
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a line of people
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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