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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cue — for pool
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a signal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — exactly

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