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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: safe · shower · prune · pitch · key · suit · spell · land

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — a short time
  6. land — ground
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. key — in music
  9. land — a country
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — magic
  16. prune — to trim
  17. suit — in cards
  18. key — the most important part
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — for a lock
  22. shower — to wash
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spell — letters

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