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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. firm — decided
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — in music
  7. march — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — rain
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. firm — a company
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — steady
  21. march — the month
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. march — the month
  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