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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — a committee
  3. capital — money
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a hint
  8. season — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. key — for a lock
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — to get on
  19. scale — in music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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