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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: key · cue · bowl · prune · safe · pop · kick · stick

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — for pool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cue — a hint
  14. prune — to trim
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kick — in football
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bowl — a football final

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