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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.

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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: can · prune · racket · spring · key · scale · bark · bat

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spring — a coil
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — in music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. can — to be able to
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — of water
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bat — for baseball

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