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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spell — letters
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. board — to get on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — clever
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — a committee
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ball — a great time
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — a stick
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — to trim

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