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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — of water
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spring — the season
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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