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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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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: cell · pitcher · prune · key · mine · rest · racket · safe

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. key — in music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — the most important part
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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