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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — rain
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — a group
  11. pound — a weight
  12. shower — to wash
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. key — in music
  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