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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. capital — money
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. capital — a city
  10. snap — to click
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cue — a hint
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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