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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — in music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mark — a grade
  12. drill — army training
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — the tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stand — to bear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. deal — to handle
  23. foot — the bottom
  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