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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — a stone
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rock — music
  8. key — in music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. row — a line
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fork — in a road

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