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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: current · key · spring · prune · chair · track · coach · kick

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. kick — in football
  14. current — happening now
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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