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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — in a road
  6. swing — to play on
  7. current — of water
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. swing — in golf
  12. key — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. current — electric
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitch — a sports field

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