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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rock — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — a contest
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — humankind
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a committee
  21. spring — the season
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spring — a coil
  24. key — the most important part

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