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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 · cap · board · mate · present · fork · prune · sharp

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — a committee
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. key — the most important part
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fork — in a road
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — of ice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. present — a gift

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