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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: pop · key · face · prune · rock · game · sharp · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. key — the most important part
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — in music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. face — part of the head
  9. game — a match
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pop — soda
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rock — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. rock — a stone
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pop — to visit
  23. key — for a lock
  24. face — to point toward

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