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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · pit · stock · prune · key · ground · court · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — a signal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stock — shares
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cue — for pool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pit — a hole
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — in music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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