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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: game · prune · mate · fine · tear · key · root · suit

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. key — the most important part
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — wild animals
  10. key — in music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tear — to rip
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mate — a friend
  15. suit — in cards
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — of a word
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fine — high quality
  24. prune — the fruit

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