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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: bear · mug · fine · prune · key · stick · cell · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — all right
  9. key — the most important part
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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