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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — a position
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rock — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — thin
  24. perch — the fish

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