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

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — a gift
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. key — the most important part
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — there
  17. club — for golf
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — after costs
  21. present — the time now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — a group
  24. prune — to trim

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