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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. roll — a list
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. file — a document
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kid — child
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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