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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — the month
  4. key — in music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. track — a path
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. key — for a lock
  19. track — a song
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mug — a face
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stand — to bear

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