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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bound — certain
  10. current — electric
  11. drill — army training
  12. bound — obliged
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. key — the most important part
  17. drill — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — happening now
  20. branch — a division
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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