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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. can — to be able to
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. land — a country
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — in football
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — in music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. object — a thing
  12. rush — hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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