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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. key — the most important part
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — hasty
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. court — of law
  24. key — in music

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