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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 · mouse · content · key · prune · fan · cap · march

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. content — the amount
  8. key — the most important part
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. content — happy
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cap — of ice
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — 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