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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: chair · rock · capital · prune · safe · key · kick · squash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — a leader
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. kick — in football
  17. squash — the sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — in music
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — the most important part

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