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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — in music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — in a race

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