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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pop — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — to visit
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a bank

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