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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — for catching
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — to trim
  10. date — the fruit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. key — for a lock

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