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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. present — a gift
  2. key — in music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. band — a music group
  5. present — the time now
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — for a lock
  14. row — a line
  15. present — there
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a ring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. row — to paddle
  23. prune — to trim
  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