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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. scale — size or range
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — in music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. foot — a measure
  12. club — for dancing
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. club — a group
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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