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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: prune · face · clip · jam · net · stick · ball · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. face — part of the head
  4. net — in sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — in music
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. net — after costs
  21. clip — for paper
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — for catching
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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