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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. file — a document
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — in music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fine — all right
  16. key — the most important part
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. content — happy
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. content — the amount

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