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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 · prune · bay · current · plane · fork · game · kick

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. key — in music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — in football
  8. plane — a tool
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. current — electric
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. current — happening now
  19. key — the most important part
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. prune — to trim
  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