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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. kid — child
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ground — crushed
  23. object — a thing
  24. pass — a permit

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