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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. plane — a tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — to be able to
  12. key — the most important part
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — temperature
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. charge — a price
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a trace
  24. can — a tin

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