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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kid — child
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. key — in music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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