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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: mine · prune · fork · key · bulb · wave · pitch · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. track — a path
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. key — in music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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