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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rash — a series
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cap — a lid
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. march — music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. club — a group
  17. cell — in biology
  18. key — the most important part
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. key — in music
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  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