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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — a video
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — hasty
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mate — a partner
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. prune — to trim

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