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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. suit — clothes
  7. game — a match
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — in music
  18. suit — to fit

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