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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · key · racket · prune · current · bass · clip · wave

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — happening now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — for a lock
  9. current — of water
  10. clip — to cut
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. clip — for paper
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. clip — a video
  18. bass — the fish
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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