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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: prune · deal · jam · key · pit · plane · chest · cell

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cell — in biology
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chest — of your body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — in music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chest — a box
  11. pit — in a race
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pit — a hole

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