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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. key — in music
  4. content — the amount
  5. file — a line of people
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a document
  11. content — happy
  12. track — a path
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — happening now
  17. key — the most important part
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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