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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — in music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — to go on
  11. foot — a measure
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. staff — a stick
  14. last — final
  15. game — a match
  16. last — finally
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. prune — to trim
  21. game — wild animals
  22. staff — employees
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. key — for a lock

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