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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mug — a face
  3. key — for a lock
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. file — a line of people
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a document
  8. net — after costs
  9. rock — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ground — a position
  23. mug — a cup
  24. key — the most important part

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