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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — to rob
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spell — magic
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — in music
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mug — a face

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