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

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a document
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — in music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. file — a tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ball — a great time
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ball — a dance
  24. prune — to trim

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