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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — to breed
  4. suit — in cards
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. current — of water
  10. suit — clothes
  11. current — happening now
  12. ground — a position
  13. prune — to trim
  14. current — electric
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — government
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. mate — a friend
  22. court — of law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. suit — to fit

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