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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cue — for pool
  4. root — the cause
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — all right
  8. pop — soda
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — music
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — to visit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — in golf
  24. root — of a plant

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