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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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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: field · sharp · prune · roll · bound · file · key · cue

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — tied together
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cue — for pool
  8. field — farmland
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a line of people
  12. key — in music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. field — for sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. key — the most important part
  22. field — a subject
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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