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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. roll — a list
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — the most important part
  8. roll — a cake
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kid — child
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. land — a country
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. land — ground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. land — to come down
  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