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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. object — an aim
  3. key — the most important part
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. object — a thing
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — a path
  22. squash — the sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. track — to keep track

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