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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — the most important part
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. field — for sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a music group
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — to be able to
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — a subject
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — in music
  24. field — farmland

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