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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: key · toast · ball · cue · cabinet · prune · club · tear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. tear — from crying
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. toast — bread
  9. ball — a dance
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cue — a signal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. key — for a lock

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