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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · can · date · field · key · fall · prune · roll

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. key — in music
  3. roll — a list
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — a subject
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — boats
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. craft — a skill
  16. field — for sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — farmland
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. key — the most important part
  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