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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cell — a phone
  9. season — of the year
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cabinet — ministers

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