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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. land — a country
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spell — a short time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — a gift
  13. spell — magic
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — the most important part
  17. present — the time now
  18. mark — a trace
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — letters
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — clever
  23. present — there
  24. land — ground

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