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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: roll · mine · pound · key · pass · toast · craft · date

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. roll — a cake
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pound — a weight
  5. toast — bread
  6. mine — for digging
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. key — the most important part
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. roll — a list
  12. craft — boats
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. key — for a lock
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. date — the fruit
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. craft — a skill
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — for dogs

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