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

Word bank: rest · pit · game · toast · bear · key · squash · stem

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — to crush
  3. toast — bread
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rest — what's left

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