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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: game · race · toast · firm · jam · key · fork · fine

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. key — in music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. key — the most important part
  6. firm — decided
  7. game — a match
  8. race — a contest
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — humankind
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — high quality
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. race — the arms race
  23. firm — a company
  24. fine — a penalty

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