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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 · object · cabinet · cap · straw · mine · prune · fork

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mine — for digging
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. object — an aim
  19. fork — in a road
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cap — of ice
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cap — a lid

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