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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: foot · season · kid · wake · mark · toast · key · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. foot — a measure
  10. key — in music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — child
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. toast — bread
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. prune — the fruit

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