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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rock — music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — the most important part
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. content — happy
  15. stand — to bear
  16. key — for a lock
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. content — the amount
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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