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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — a lid
  4. object — to protest
  5. cap — of ice
  6. key — in music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. object — an aim
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — a thing
  16. key — for a lock
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a path
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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