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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. file — a tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — electric
  8. mine — for digging
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — thin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a line of people
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — happening now
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. file — a document
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. racket — for tennis
  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