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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. season — of the year
  9. rock — a stone
  10. clip — a video
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. clip — for paper
  16. craft — boats
  17. clip — to cut
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — in sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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