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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — magic
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — for betting
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — the season
  21. hand — help
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — of water

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