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

Word bank: fork · key · prune · leaves · spell · pound · clip · stick

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. clip — for paper
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — magic
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. clip — a video
  12. spell — letters
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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