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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. key — for a lock
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. root — the cause
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. key — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. root — of a word
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — a sports field

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