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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — a line
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. key — for a lock
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bear — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kick — in football
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — with a leg

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