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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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 — the most important part
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — humankind
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. key — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. club — a group
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — for golf
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mug — a face
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. race — a contest
  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