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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. key — in music
  8. season — in sport
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bat — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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