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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: spring · present · prune · key · mark · cue · file · chest

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spring — of water
  3. mark — a grade
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. present — the time now
  7. cue — a hint
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — of your body
  10. present — a gift
  11. file — a tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cue — a signal
  15. present — there
  16. spring — the season
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mark — a trace
  23. file — a document
  24. chest — a box

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