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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — to breed
  4. key — the most important part
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — a company
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. craft — a skill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mate — a friend
  16. firm — decided
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. court — for sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. craft — boats

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