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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 120 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
468
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: prune · mouse · field · content · file · key · drill · board

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — the amount
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. field — a subject
  14. file — a document
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a committee
  20. key — in music
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — to get on
  23. drill — army training
  24. key — for a lock

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