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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 · prune · season · roll · pass · cue · bark · spring

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spring — the season
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spring — of water
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. season — of the year
  13. roll — a list
  14. season — in sport
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cue — a hint

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