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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · prune · cabinet · chair · key · ground · cue · fan

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. key — for a lock
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — in music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ground — a position
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. prune — to trim

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