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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · saw · field · bore · stick · prune · mate · track

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — the most important part
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bore — to tire
  13. field — a subject
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — a song
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mate — to breed
  21. field — farmland
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — to keep track
  24. key — in music

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