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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. toast — bread
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — the most important part
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. key — in music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mark — a trace
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. branch — a division
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ground — a position

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