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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: fine · toast · court · key · cue · pit · snap · foot

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — high quality
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — a hint
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fine — all right
  9. cue — a signal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. key — in music
  12. court — for sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. key — for a lock
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cue — for pool
  18. court — of law
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — in a race
  22. snap — to click
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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