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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: racket · pass · lash · key · kid · pound · prune · nail

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. kid — child
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kid — to tease
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pound — a weight
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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