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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 · sharp · game · prune · lash · land · ground · rush

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. game — a match
  2. land — to come down
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. land — a country
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. land — ground
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ground — a position
  19. rush — hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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