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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: key · toast · bat · march · spell · deal · tear · cue

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. deal — to handle
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — to rip
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. tear — from crying
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spell — a short time
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — magic
  12. cue — a signal
  13. toast — bread
  14. cue — for pool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — letters
  19. key — in music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bat — the animal
  24. march — music

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