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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. snap — to click
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. season — of the year
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — in music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. game — a kind of play

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